May 20 2013
Nintendo targets user YouTube videos – Youtube creators can turn on ads for their uploaded videos and receive income generated from the placement of those ads. Some youtube creators will record themselves playing a game, sometimes just for fun and sometimes for “walkthroughs” which help other, not so awesome gamers, finish out certain levels. Nintendo(…)
Apr 30 2013
In the history of American Arts and Letters there have been many persons convinced of their own ability to write. Since they speak the language, they are certain that they can wield a pen and produce a story, transferring the errant imagination into a book. Writing, in this view, is considered an extension—albeit a skilled(…)
Apr 16 2013
Avon’s publication of Anna Campbell’s Claiming the Courtesan in 2007 sparked quite a conflagration online. Campbell’s unapologetic use of captivity and sexual force generated a great deal of discussion and controversy, some of which is captured nicely in Sarah Wendell’s review and its attendant comments. Many readers characterized the book like Mala Bhattacharjee does, as(…)
Apr 10 2013
NAA’s New Revenue Report: Been Down So Long Looks Like Up to Publishers – This report on news consumption is pretty interesting although not exactly fiction book publishing related. Pay walls are becoming increasingly more popular because they are profitable. “Revenue from digital/print circulation rose nearly five fold (499%) from 2011.” But only 11% of(…)
Apr 9 2013
I had initially planned to jump right into late 20th century Romance novels and their reliance/reflection on captivity narratives, but since it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted, I realized that I needed to sit down and catch myself up. And that turned into this catching up post. I apologize in advance if this(…)
Mar 19 2013
Last week I discussed Edith Hull’s 1919 Romance novel The Sheik, which I would offer as a potential nominee for first modern genre Romance novel. Bringing together themes and devices from captivity narratives, sentimental and sensational fiction, and other literary genres, The Sheik also created an iconic image of the romantic desert hero in the(…)
Mar 15 2013
Why isn’t B&N taking books from Simon & Schuster? – The Simon & Schuster v. Barnes & Noble spat may still be going on according to Moby Lives. Take The Love Song of Johnny Valentine by Teddy Wayne for example, which went on sale February 4th. The book has enjoyed an all-star media lineup with(…)
Mar 5 2013
Note: this is the third part of a series I’m doing on the current popularity of what I’m calling Extreme Romance Novels. Part One can be found here, and Part Two here. I do think the first two installments are best read in order, but you can easily start with this post and then(…)
Feb 19 2013
When I first started reading Romance, I tended to avoid contemporaries, because the sexual politics were so blindingly overt. Even in books that did not purport to be about power, it was just so there. Over time, however, I realized that all Romance was essentially about power, because, well, the way human beings relate in(…)
Feb 12 2013
Romance readers can pick and choose from a wide selection of heroes, but despite our need for variety, are there certain kinds we’ll avoid no matter the circumstances? That question came to mind recently upon reading a comment at my blog and I’d like to get your input on the issue. Author Linnea Sinclair shared(…)
Feb 5 2013
Over the last couple of months it seems as if a lot of romance community members have been writing about how reading romance is a form of escape from everyday life. This isn’t new, of course; genre fiction has always been treated as primarily escapist (as opposed to educational or enlightening) , and romance reading(…)
Dec 20 2012
A Message from John Sargent – I hardly know what to say in response to John Sargent’s letter to authors, agents, and retailers. I feel that I am being gaslighted. That rational behavior has been supplanted by a made up morality issue. Sargent writes that he intends to press on and litigate against the DOJ(…)
Dec 18 2012
Will Romance ever come to terms with its marginalization by the mainstream literary establishment? Yeah, I know many readers claim they just don’t care, or think literary fiction is overrated pretentious crap, or scoff at popular fiction authors who talk about the need to promote female authors, while still seeming to ignore the largest(…)
Nov 21 2012
First Known Use of OMG? – From Jodi Ettenberg comes documentary proof of a 1917 use of OMG. By the way, we are all saying it wrong. I had been putting the emphasis after every word instead of after the My God. For the sight impaired, it reads as follows: Twitter Lord Fisher to the(…)
Sep 25 2012
Fanfiction – Deb sent me a link to this video. It’s a rather fun look at fan fiction including a historical aspect. Did you know that someone published a sequel to Don Quixote? Unauthorized?Know Your Meme Hold the front page: cover art is going out of fashion – James Bridle suggests that ereaders have no(…)
JOINT REVIEW: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh (and Giveaway)
Mockingjay 13 District Blog Tour: District 5, Our Giveaway
Something is very wrong with us, and it’s not bad reviews
Berkley Fall Giveaway
Author DeborahAnne MacGillivray Harasses Amazon Reader
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